Caudata Lab

Sirenidae

Southwestern US

Siren intermedia

Family: Sirenidae

No hind limbs

4 toes on each foot

35 costal grooves

southern and sandhills

pointy tail

Siren lacertina

Family: Sirenidae

No hind limbs

4 toes on each foot

36 costal grooves

less common

rounded tail

Proteidae

Eastern US

olms

Necturus lewisi

Family: Proteidae

Threatened state and federally

4 well developed libs

4 toes on each limb

spots on dorsum

dark stripe on side of head

Necturus maculosus

Family: Proteidae

very western side of US
special concern

4 well developed toes

4 toes on each limb

spots on dorsum

dark stripe on side of head

Necturus punctatus

Family: Proteidae

smaller, thinner body

no dorsum blotches

no venter spots

eastern half of US

Amphiumidae

eastern US

Amphiuma means

Family: Amphiumidae

pointy beak

single pair of gill slits

4 tiny legs, 2 toes each

Cryptobranchidae

very western edge of US

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis

Family: Cryptobranchidae

special concern

Salamandridae

Diverse in Europe + US

Notopthalmus viridescens

Family: Salimandridae

many choices when it comes to lifestyle

Ambytstomatidae

ambystomatidae

Ambystoma maculatum

Family: ambystomatidae

small yellow spot pattern

Ambystoma opacum

Family: ambystomatidae

official state amphibian

black and white patterns

Ambystoma tigrinum

Family: ambystomatidae

NC threatened

irregular blotching

dig their own burrows

mainly in sandhills region

Plethodontidae

lungless salamanders

Eurycea cirrigera

Family: Plethodontidae

southern

two lines, yellowish, brownish, greenish, or orange dorsum

black dots

dark dorsolateral stripe extending to tip of tail

14 costal grooves, 5 toes on hind limbs

eggs laid in water, 2 yrs larvae

Eurycea guttolineata

Family Plethodontiae

three lines

• Black stripe down back flanked on each side by pair of tan/yellowish stripes that meet at base of tail

• Dark mid-dorsal and dorsolateral lines form distinct 3 line pattern

• Terrestrial as adults but never far from water

• Lay eggs in slow moving water, 4-6 months as aquatic larvae

Eurycea quadridigitata

Family Plethodontidae

very southern

dark with silvery belly w/ flecks, 18 grooves

Eurycea chamberlaini

Family Plethodontidae

• Light ventral surface, <16 grooves, base of tail laterally compressed

• Eastern edge of piedmont, sandhills 

Plethodon cinereus

Family Plethodontidae

• Red back/dorsal stripe, heavily mottled black and white belly

• Terrestrial

• Eggs laid in underground burrow, leaf litter

• Females aggressively defend eggs, no larval stage 

• Distribution randomly spotted

Plethodon cylindraceus

Family Plethodontidae

• White spots, slimy secretions as defense, northern

• One of 5 that branched off P glutinosus

• All black w/ white or cream flecks scattered over sides, sometimes on back and limbs

• Entirely terrestrial - moist forest habitat

• Lay eggs on land (under logs, underground cavities)

• No larval stage

Pseudotriton montanus

Family: Plethodontidae

• Mud salamander

• Short tail, brown eyes

• Dorsum bright red, orange, spots round and well separated 

• Most common at lower elevations (swampy pools, floodplain forests)

• Eggs laid in late fall, 2 years aquatic larvae 

• Scattered dispersal

• Rounded beak

Pseudotriton ruber

Family: Plethodontidae

• Red salamander

• Short tail, dorsum bright with irregular spots

• Yellow golden eyes, longer snouts

• in/around aquatic habitats but may stray from water

• Adults live in burrows adjacent to water

• Eggs laid in winter, 2-3 mo larval stage 

• Western dispersal

Gyrinophilus porphyriticus

Family: Plethodontidae

• Large stout body

• Orange, red dorsum with small dark spots

• Line from eye to nostril, throat sometimes flecked with black

• Headwater streams and springs

• Eggs in summer, 4 years larval

• Very western, colder environments

Stereochilus marginatus

Family: Plethodontidae

• Many lines

• Yellow-brown

• Light and dark longitudinal streaks/lines on lower sides

• Scattered brown flecks on the belly

• Tail relatively short, keeled, laterally compressed

• Highly aquatic eggs laid in winter, 1-2 larval yrs 

• Coastal plains

Desmognathus bairdi

Family: Plethodontidae

• Northern

• Red, gray, brown, black

• Moderately keeled tail

• Abundant in streams, seeps, springs

• Eggs laid in or near water short larval stage 

• White diagonal line from eye

• Most common